Hosea 8 9

Hosea 8:9 kjv

For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

Hosea 8:9 nkjv

For they have gone up to Assyria, Like a wild donkey alone by itself; Ephraim has hired lovers.

Hosea 8:9 niv

For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has sold herself to lovers.

Hosea 8:9 esv

For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild donkey wandering alone; Ephraim has hired lovers.

Hosea 8:9 nlt

Like a wild donkey looking for a mate,
they have gone up to Assyria.
The people of Israel have sold themselves ?
sold themselves to many lovers.

Hosea 8 verses

Hosea 8 9 Meaning

For Israel is a hireling, dependent on foreign nations for support and strength, rather than on the Lord. This pursuit of alliances with powerful nations leads to their spiritual and political ruin.

Hosea 8 9 Context

Hosea chapter 8 speaks to the unfaithfulness of Israel and Ephraim, prophesying judgment for their idolatry, rebellion, and reliance on foreign alliances rather than the Lord. Verse 9 specifically addresses their practice of hiring foreign nations for military protection and support, likening them to a prostitute who pays for her lovers. This dependence on human strength and foreign powers signifies a deep apostasy, turning away from their covenant relationship with God. The historical context is the precarious political climate of the 8th century BC, with Assyria rising as a dominant power, and Israel (the northern kingdom, often referred to as Ephraim) making desperate and ultimately futile attempts to maintain its independence through diplomatic and military pacts with Egypt and Assyria.

Hosea 8 9 Word Analysis

• For (Kî - כִּי): Conjunction introducing a reason or explanation. It signifies that the preceding judgments or pronouncements against Israel are a direct consequence of their condition described in this verse.

• Israel (Yisra'el - יִשְׂרָאֵל): Refers to the northern kingdom of Israel, which often acted as a collective entity. It carries the weight of the covenant people, emphasizing their failure to uphold their obligations to God.

• is (hû'- הוּא): Third-person masculine singular pronoun. Denotes existence or identity.

• a hireling (śakîr - שָׂכִיר): One who is hired for wages. In this context, it carries a derogatory connotation, implying someone who serves for payment rather than out of loyalty or covenant commitment. It highlights a transactional, disloyal relationship. The imagery evokes someone without inherent worth or stability, depending on what others pay them. This is a spiritual degradation.

• Ephraim (’Ephrâyim - אֶפְרַיִם): The most prominent tribe within the northern kingdom of Israel, often used as a metonym for the entire kingdom. It emphasizes the specific sin of the northern kingdom.

• has hired (śāḵrāh - שָׂכְרָה): The perfect tense of the verb "to hire." It indicates a completed action or a state resulting from hiring. The conjugation here emphasizes that this hiring has been a deliberate and sustained practice.

• lovers (’ōhăbîm - אֹהֲבִים): Plural of "’ōhēḇ" (lover). In prophetic literature, the term "lovers" often refers to the nations with whom Israel made alliances or engaged in idolatry. The term inherently carries sexual and illicit connotations, highlighting the adulterous nature of Israel's unfaithfulness to God. It's not just a political alliance but a spiritual betrayal, likened to marital infidelity. The emphasis on "hiring" suggests that these relationships are based on self-interest and temporary benefit, not genuine affection or covenant faithfulness.

• For Israel is a hireling; Ephraim has hired lovers.

  • This phrase draws a stark parallel between a mercenary soldier and the nation's political strategy.
  • A hireling serves for pay, lacking genuine loyalty to the cause or people.
  • Similarly, Israel's "lovers" (foreign nations) are not bound by any divine commitment but by self-interest and strategic advantage.
  • The parallel extends to the idea of spiritual prostitution. Just as a woman hires lovers for satisfaction, Israel sought its security and well-being from foreign powers instead of its divine husband, God.

Hosea 8 9 Bonus Section

The imagery of hiring lovers directly contrasts with the depiction of God as Israel's rightful husband and protector in Hosea's prophecy. Israel's "love" for foreign gods and political alliances is a perversion of true devotion. This pursuit of external security highlights a profound lack of faith in God's power and faithfulness. The word "hireling" also subtly implies that Israel is bought and sold, becoming subservient and without true sovereignty or independent will because they have outsourced their fundamental dependence from God to man. The spiritual adultery condemned here finds parallels in the New Testament's warnings against loving the world or compromising faith for worldly gain (1 John 2:15-17; Romans 1:25).

Hosea 8 9 Commentary

This verse paints a vivid picture of Israel's spiritual and political harlotry. Instead of relying on the Lord their God for protection and prosperity, they sought alliances with foreign nations. These nations are depicted as "lovers" whom Israel "hires." This signifies that Israel paid tribute, offered bribes, or entered into treaties for their own perceived benefit, like a prostitute pays for companionship. This action demonstrates a complete abandonment of their covenant relationship with God. They treated their relationship with God as a business transaction that wasn't paying off, so they sought paid companionship elsewhere. This is not true love or faithfulness; it is a self-serving, exploitative arrangement that ultimately leads to shame and destruction, as all alliances built on shifting human loyalties and without divine foundation will eventually crumble. The ultimate consequence of such spiritual adultery is divine judgment.